


countdown (the days I spend with you)

by heoneymin



Category: K-pop, Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Dating to Prove A Point, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Jealousy, Light Angst, M/M, Slow Burn, the way to Jooheon's heart is through his cats
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-11-08 06:04:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17975843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heoneymin/pseuds/heoneymin
Summary: Jooheon should probably stop going along with Minhyuk's insane ideas, but well...Between being ever-so-slightly uncomfortable with the current situation, or Minhyuk being sad over his most recent break-up, Jooheon prefers the option that doesn't involve tears and a tub of icecream.(Minhyuk just wants to prove once and for all he's not a bad date, really)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this was gonna be a one-shot but it's getting too long so............to avoid me losing motivation, it's now chaptered! I know Minhyuk POV won the poll but in the end alternating POV's worked best, for once. so you'll get Minhyuk POV next chapter, then Joo again, etc.

 

**[ Monday ]**

 

"—And that's how I got ditched halfway through my date."

One final groan, and Minhyuk's head drops to the table with a thud. Jooheon, being the supportive friend that he is, gives him a few encouraging pats on the back.

"Chin up, at least it was over before it even really began."

"That doesn't cheer me up at all!" Minhyuk wails with all of his usual dramatic flair. He's pouting, which is a sure sign he's not truly sad about his most recent failure in love, only annoyed.

It isn't hard for Jooheon to figure out why. As much as he likes teasing Minhyuk about his pitiable love-life, getting rejected over and over would take its toll on anyone. Perhaps it would be easier if Minhyuk didn't have so much love to give, if he didn't put himself out there again after every failure in the hopes that this time it might work out. Only for him to get dumped again because the other person didn't expect him to be quite this loud, quite this clingy, quite this or that. Jooheon has heard of most of the accusations thrown at Minhyuk over the years, either from Minhyuk himself or on the rare occasion from an ex trying to find confirmation that it was indeed Minhyuk who was weird, not them.

Jooheon hates those types the most. They're always the ones that expect Minhyuk to just be a pretty face they can show off to their friends. In a way, he's glad those relationships never lasted long.

He lets his hand rest on the dip of Minhyuk's shoulders. "It's not your fault if someone doesn't like you, or changes their mind halfway through a date. You tried your best, and it didn't work out. It happens."

It happens a lot, apparently.

"Yeah. Thanks," Minhyuk mumbles against the tabletop.

Jooheon decides to try a different approach. Nothing gets Minhyuk out of a funk faster than friendly provocations and banter.

"Then again, maybe you're just a lousy date."

Minhyuk turns his head, and with one look at his face understands what Jooheon is trying to do. His lips turn up ever so slightly.

"Excuse you, I'm an amazing date. Attentive, affectionate—"

"Full of yourself."

Minhyuk tuts at Jooheon's interruption. "Confidence is key to impressing someone."

"You're not very impressive though."

"You only say that because you haven't been exposed to my charms."

Jooheon snorts and takes another sip of his coffee. "Like that time you passed out on my couch after eating two pizzas on your own?"

He pulls his legs back before Minhyuk can try to kick him.

"It was exam season and I hadn't eaten properly in 36 hours, and that was one time!"

"I bet that story would get all the guys and girls swooning."

Minhyuk scoots his chair closer, leans his elbows on the table and grins. The expression looks sharp and out of place against the homely background decor of the coffee shop.

"You know what, I'll show you. Let's go on a date."

Jooheon has to do a double take to make sure he heard correctly. "What?"

"This Saturday," Minhyuk barrels on cheerfully, "You're free right? I'll show you that I am, in fact, charming and the perfect date."

There is an indescribable sticky feeling rising in the back of Jooheon's throat. Like words he wants to say but can't, because he himself hasn't found them yet. Feeling, undefined. He doesn't know what that's all about, but he is certain of one thing.

"I'm not letting you use me as your rebound, hyung."

Minhyuk's smile drops. "I wasn't— You really think I would do that?"

"No," Jooheon admits, "But you have to know how it sounds."

"I just figured it would give you one less thing to tease me over, if I can prove I'm at least a good date."

Minhyuk's lips are pressed tight together, turned up into a facsimile of their earlier smile. He sort of looks like he wants to cry. Great, now Jooheon feels like an asshole. He had managed to make Minhyuk feel better for all of a minute, only to mess it all up again.

Truthfully, he knows Minhyuk wouldn't use him, wouldn't want to betray his trust like that. They've been inseparable since high school, with all the ups and downs in their friendship that that entails. He _knows_ Minhyuk.

He clears his throat, switching back to his previous demeanor.

"Well, are you sure one will be enough to impress me? I'm not a cheap date, after all."

On his next exhale, Minhyuk's shoulders relax again. "Fine then, give me a week. Starting now, I'll show you I'm the perfect boyfriend."

Jooheon trusts Minhyuk, he does. But something about the situation still feels off. When given the choice between bearing the discomfort or making Minhyuk upset, however, Jooheon will always choose the former. So he lets himself slide back into his chair, until the soles of his shoes connect to Minyuk's.

"Hey mister Perfect, your shirt is buttoned wrong."

Minhyuk curses under his breath as he goes to fix the offending buttons. Jooheon laughs at his antics, as always, and hopes he made the right decision.

 

 

**[ Tuesday ]  
**

 

There's a certain amount of irony to be found in their dating-for-a-week arrangement when people have already mistaken Minhyuk and him as a couple in the past.

Jooheon maintains that it isn't their fault people are quick to judge. If he wants to hug one of his friends, he'll hug them, and if he wants to hold their hand, he'll hold their hand. He'll lean his head on Changkyun's shoulder while watching a movie, or curl up next to Hyunwoo for a nap.

Minhyuk obviously thinks the same as him, whether he shows it by draping himself over Hoseok's shoulders or slipping a hand around Jooheon's waist. The physical affection is part of their friendship, and Jooheon will be damned before he gives it up just because some people don't understand it.

That being said, their deal makes Jooheon pay attention to it a lot more.

They live in the same building but on different floors, with Minhyuk and Changkyun's flat being the furthest from the entrace. Hoseok lives on his own, and between Hyungwon and Kihyun's place or Hyunwoo and Jooheon's, the latter is definitely the more spacious.

What this usually means, is that their friends spend a lot of time hanging around in Jooheon's living room. What it means today, is that Minhyuk decides to drop by at 8 A.M. in the morning with freshly bought waffles for breakfast, and expects Jooheon to just let him in.

"Hyung, what the fuck."

"I brought you breakfast."

"I don't have class until eleven."

"Exactly, plenty of time to eat."

Jooheon stares at him with all the incredulity a woken-up-too-early college student can muster. The staring leads him to another discovery.

"Are those _flowers_?"

"Yep," Minhyuk grins, self-satisfied, "Have to start our date-week right after all."

"It started yesterday."

"The flower shops were already closed then, so the flowers got delayed until today I'm afraid."

He all but pushes the bouquet into Jooheon's hands. No doubt it's pretty, even if a bit small. Jooheon doesn't know half of the plants that went into making it, but the roses' smell is the most prominent anyway. It's nice. Even if it's a bit overboard.

"Wait," Jooheon realizes, "I don't own a vase."

Minhyuk laughs. "Guess you'll have to improvise then."

 

*

 

Once Jooheon gets past his initial sleepy autopilot-phase, he starts to appreciate Minhyuk's gesture a lot more. Waffles are definitely better than any of the options left in Jooheon's cupboards.

Besides, having breakfast with Minhyuk isn't any different than usual. They talk about what Hyunwoo is up to—already out and about, to get some exercise in before class—and how Changkyun had managed to nearly set his room on fire the other day. There's laughter and good-natured barbs, lighting up the kitchen just as much as the sunlight creeping through the window does.

Minhyuk has to leave after an hour to make it in time for his first class of the day, so Jooheon sees him out. The onset of autumn has made the tiles of the entryway chilly against Jooheon's bare feet.

"I hope Hyunwoo doesn't kill you for putting flowers in the coffeepot."

"I'll be fine. It's just temporary, I'll pick up something else to hold them after class."

"But you do like them, right?"

Jooheon rolls his eyes. Minhyuk can be surprisingly transparent sometimes. "Yes, hyung, I like them. Not as much as I like the food though."

"But I don't even get a thank you? How mean."

Jooheon blames the combination of his newfound good mood and his half-awake state for what happens next.

He pulls Minhyuk in by the lapels of his coat, and with more outward confidence than he actually has, plants a kiss on the highest point of Minhyuk's cheek.

"Thank you. Happy now?"

Minhyuk splutters for a split second before bursting into laughter, chortling and unflattering as can be.

"Yes, very."

His hand comes to rest on the back of Jooheon's neck as he mirrors Jooheon's actions.

"Have a nice day, Honey. I'll talk to you later."

And with that he disappears out the door before Jooheon has the chance to process what just happened. He catches sight of his reflection in the mirror next to the door, and the redness of his ears only serves to make his face heat up further.

He has always been weak against Minhyuk's jokes.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

**[ Wednesday ]**

 

Contrary to popular belief, Minhyuk isn't a rash person. Sure, sometimes he acts on a whim, but most of the time Minhyuk does have a plan behind his actions.

This is not one of those times.

Two days later Minhyuk still isn't sure why he thought asking Jooheon on a date would be a good idea. If there is any lesson to be learned from his recent dating history, it's that everyone that he goes out with gets sick of him. He would very much prefer if Jooheon did not get sick of him, thank you. Getting dumped by someone you know for a month isn't that bad, compared to being dumped by one of your best friends. The former, he'll survive, and has done so in the past. But if Jooheon were to stop talking to him?

The thought alone makes Minhyuk break out in a cold sweat.

Hell, even when suggesting the date he almost messed up. It hurt, that Jooheon even for a split second believed that Minhyuk would use him as a rebound and nothing more. It was probably Minhyuk's own fault.

Hasty, too hasty, Minhyuk hadn't thought the suggestion through before blurting it out. All he remembers is fake-smiling his way through the insinuation—the fact—that he is just bad at dating. Jooheon was obviously joking, _he was_ , but Minhyuk's mind had scrambled its way to high alert at the possibility that Jooheon agreed with all of his exes. That Minhyuk was the weird one, that he was the one not cut out for love.

In that moment, he had just wanted to prove Jooheon wrong, in any way possible.

So that brings Minhyuk to his current predicament of trying to woo Jooheon, sort-of-but-not-really.

In theory, it should be easy. Jooheon and him hang out all the time, they know what the other likes and dislikes, they share the same sense of humor and love of mischief.

In practice, Minhyuk nearly freaked out from nerves when he did something as simple as buy flowers for his (not-real) breakfast date. He wishes the employees from that flower shop nothing but happiness and joy for the rest of their lives, because they definitely deserve it after putting up with Minhyuk's fussing.

If it were any normal date, if it were any other crush Minhyuk was going out with, he would have just bought one of the store's standard bouquets and be done with it. But this isn't one of his crushes, this is Jooheon. And because it's Jooheon, Minhyuk knows he loves the color red but starts sneezing if the flowers' smell is too strong, and he likes those soaps that smell like lily of the valley, but it's fall so those aren't an option.

Knowing someone makes it a lot harder to impress them in a date-sort-of-way.

And yet, miraculously, Minhyuk manages to forget about all of the stress once Jooheon and he are actually in the same room. Their conversations flow the same, trading jokes as natural as breathing. Dating Jooheon is both the hardest and easiest thing Minhyuk has ever done.  

It helps that Jooheon appears to have warmed up to the idea as well now, if that kiss on the cheek yesterday was anything to go by. The action was impulsive and teasing and honestly something that Minhyuk himself would have done, if he hadn't been so preoccupied with not scaring Jooheon off.

Knowing Jooheon will play along for the week puts him a bit more at ease about that though. Even if he only did it to cheer Minhyuk up—that's fine.

Minhyuk has the entire week to prove his worth as a date, and it's only Wednesday.

 

*

 

Today, the plan was to meet up after classes, get take out and play games.

The plan, however, did not account for Yoshi hurting herself and Jooheon needing to rush to the vet halfway through the day.

It was a testament to Jooheon's character that he had taken the trouble to leave a rather frenzied-sounding voicemail, explaining why he wouldn't be able to show up in time for their (not-really) date. Minhyuk listened to it as soon as he got out of class and felt his heart drop.

A glance at the time blinking up from his phone tells Minhyuk that it's half past six. Jooheon's voicemail is marked at around 4 P.M. If it wasn't too bad, Jooheon should be home soon. If not...

Minhyuk hits call.

Jooheon answers on the fourth ring.

"Hi hyung."

"Jooheon, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," there's rustling on the other side of the line, like Jooheon is shifting around in his seat. "Yoshi's... Well, going to be fine. Had to get surgery for her paw so I'm just waiting right now."

"She'll be fine, you'll see," Minhyuk tries to lighten the mood, "I give it a week before she tries to ruin my coat again."

Jooheon's answering chuckle rings hollow. "She barely touched it."

"She dug her claws in," Minhyuk whines in a last ditch effort to keep the nonchalant act up.

"You're just sensitive," Jooheon huffs. Then, after a second of silence, "Sorry I called our plans off so suddenly."

This is what Minhyuk was afraid of. Once Jooheon gets stuck in a rut, it's hard to get him back out.

"Jooheon, it's fine, it was an emergency. Definitely not your fault."

"Yeah, but still. Feels bad."

Minhyuk can almost see him shrug his shoulders, in that self-depreciating way that makes him look like a kicked puppy. Minhyuk hates it.

He clicks his tongue. "Listen, I know you're already going to beat yourself up over the Yoshi situation, so _please_ do me a favor and forget about ditching me for the day. I really don't mind."

"But I do."

" _Don't_ ," Minhyuk insists. "I'm able to entertain myself for an evening, and order food for myself too. Just don't forget to do the same once you get home, alright?"

"Yeah, I will. Don't know when I'll get back though, if they want to keep Yoshi here a while longer..." Jooheon's voice trails off towards the end. If Minhyuk were with him, this would be the part where he physically shakes some sense back into his friend.

Alas, he's half a city away and not within reaching distance. So no physical assault, nor comforting hugs afterwards.

And since there's no use in telling Jooheon to come home without Yoshi in tow, Minhyuk goes for the next best thing.  

"Is Shownu home today?" he asks.

"Eeerhm," Jooheon hesitantly drags out, "What?"

Minhyuk vaguely remembers their friend telling them that his Thursday classes were cancelled, so he would probably be staying over at his parents' house the evening before.

"Is Shownu home? Or did he go to his parents' today?"

"He's at his parents'," Jooheon confirms, "But why does that—"

"Someone has to go watch Gucci and make sure she's fed then," Minhyuk interrupts. "Your spare key still in the same place?"

Jooheon lets out a barely-recognizable sound, crackling through the speaker, "Hyung, you don't have to—"

"Jooheon, you're already going to be worried about one cat, let me go make sure the other is doing fine."

"But you don't even _like_ my cats," Jooheon protests.

"Wait, what?" Minhyuk is genuinely confused. "Why do you think that?"

"Everyone knows you're a dog person."

"That doesn't mean I hate cats!"

"But you always seem so awkward with them."

"That's because cats hate _me_!"

Minhyuk can't believe he needs to have this discussion. On that, Jooheon seems to agree, because he huffs out something that sounds halfway to a proper laugh. Minhyuk swears he hears a mumbled " _Unbelievable"_ tacked on at the end.

"Yes, my key is in the same place," is the next reply he gets.

"Good, see you when you get home then," Minhyuk chirps into the receiver.

"When I get home?" Jooheon fumbles over his words, "Wait, hyung, don't—"

"Goodnight Joo-honey!"

Minhyuk disconnects the call. He doesn't want to argue with Jooheon for another twenty minutes over whether it's worth waiting for him to get home— _yes_ , Minhyuk thinks, _no_ , Jooheon will say—so hanging up is the easiest solution.

He starts his usual trek back towards their dorms. Then changes his mind and takes the long way around.

He might as well drop by Jooheon's favorite dumpling place, now he's still out here.

 

*

 

After eating half of the food and putting the remainder aside for Jooheon, Minhyuk can no longer escape it:

He is awkward with cats.

They just never seem to like him. They're constantly on their guard, watching his every move wide-eyed and waiting to spring on him. It tends to make him paranoid, expecting the worst out of every interaction with a cat he has ever had.

Even Jooheon's.

They're undoubtedly cute, and fluffy and soft to the touch, if only they would _stop scratching him_.

Jooheon insists it's only part of their play-fighting instincts, but alright, maybe Minhyuk does have pretty sensitive skin and jumps at the slightest hint of claws.  

The thing is, he hasn't been alone with them before now. And Gucci looking sad and bored, pawing half-heartedly at one of her toys, makes him think of Jooheon being sad, which in turn is making himself sad. Which is not how he wants to spend his evening.

So he gives himself a peptalk for a minute or two, contemplates which toy to use for another three, and then sits down on the floor in an ill-advised bonding attempt with Jooheon's cat. She eyes the feather at the end of the stick with interest, but only swats at it from a distance.

Minhyuk sighs.

"Listen," and oh he is really talking to a cat now, he has reached that point, "I know you miss Jooheon and your sister, but you're stuck with me for now. At least it's better than being alone. I think. I hope?"

Gucci's tail lashes from side to side.

"Why did I ask that as if I expected a reply?"

Of course, at that moment Gucci decides to jump onto the toy after all. Minhyuk drops it out of surprise. Either way, he counts this as a win.

Carefully, he tries to take hold of the toy's handle again, and runs the feather in a cris-cross line over the floor. Gucci chases.

Progress.

 

*

 

There's only so long he can play before growing bored—and Gucci growing tired—so soon enough he's laying down on the couch, TV turned low as background noise while he scrolls through his phone.

Kihyun and Hyungwon are in the library, studying for a test, and should only be contacted in an emergency unless Minhyuk wants to risk a limb or two. Changkyun and Wooki went out with some other friends from their department, which leaves Hoseok as the sole person able to respond to Minhyuk's messages. He has already appointed himself as the one in charge of spoiling Yoshi rotten during her recovery, though Kihyun will probably give him a run for his money.

At some point, Gucci approaches and curls up next to him. Minhyuk doesn't notice until his leg starts tingling and he tries to move it, only to be met with a disgruntled meow. He freezes.

Then settles down again best as possible.

No use in getting up now.

 

*

 

Minhyuk wakes up to the jingling of keys in the lock, and one heavier-than-expected cat sitting on his chest. He's definitely not going to try to sit up in these conditions. He closes his eyes again.

He can hear Jooheon put down Yoshi's carrier, Gucci jumping down from her perch and running towards it not a second later. There's whispered cooing, and Jooheon must be petting Gucci and giving her kisses because he's about two steps away from having those cats declared as his actual daughters.

Minhyuk should probably wake up properly and ask him— _something_. He can't remember.

He dozes off again.

Water runs in the kitchen. A drawer squeaks. _Ah,_ Jooheon seems to be eating.

There's more shuffling around, a soft meow. Footsteps approaching, stopping right by the couch.

Time ticks by.

Eventually, Jooheon lays down behind him. It's a bit cramped, but it works.

With Jooheon's warmth at his back and an arm slung across his chest, Minhyuk lets himself ease back into sleep.

 

 

**[ Thursday - Part I ]**

 

Minhyuk doesn't know why Jooheon is surprised when they end up falling off of the couch. It was the only logical outcome, after all. But hey, the ridiculousness of their awakening makes Jooheon laugh again, which is good.

Minhyuk is still too sleepy to think beyond that.

All that matters right now is that it's way too early in the morning, and Jooheon is laughing on the floor beside him, and—

It's good.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

 

**[ Thursday - Part II ]**

 

Jooheon doesn't understand it either, how some things just slip his mind. Not that he is forgetful, far from it. It's not birthdays or class assignments or his car keys that he forgets. It's the tidbits of information that are so mundane, so integrated into his daily routine that he often doesn't think about their existence altogether.

Minhyuk's level of dedication to those he cares about is one example.

Only when he gets confronted with Minhyuk doing things like this—calling to see if Jooheon is alright, or going out of his way to buy Jooheon's favorite food because he knows Jooheon will forget to eat when he's upset otherwise—he remembers. A hidden part of his mind pointing out that hey, friends or not, not everybody is willing to step out of their own comfort zone to help others, even if it's with something as small as pet-sitting for a night.

There is probably more to it than a selfless desire to help, Jooheon is well aware. Minhyuk worries, no matter how much he denies it, and his unintentional sleepover was probably as much for his own peace of mind as it was for Jooheon's.

That's alright, Jooheon is plenty selfish too.

Especially last night, when he had spent hours tense and pacing and in misery. Usually he would search for a distraction, whether it be through music or movies or spending time with his friends. At night, however, his options were limited, and with Minhyuk asleep on his couch even more so. He didn't want to wake his friend up.

But he also just really wanted a hug.

So, after a moment's hesitation, he crammed himself behind Minhyuk on his—definitely not suited for two grown men—couch and told himself that it was fine. Minhyuk had never refused a hug when he was awake, and even in sleep he melted into Jooheon's touch. Jooheon had no reason to feel guilty.

Still, the hammering of his heart seemed unnaturally loud in the dark.

 

*

 

Rude awakening aside, spending the morning with Minhyuk is pleasant.

It takes a bit of rummaging through cupboards to find something suitable for breakfast—Jooheon still hasn't bought groceries, and Minhyuk obviously didn't account for that fact—but they make do. It's quiet, Minhyuk still groggy and half-asleep, leaning his head against the fridge while he waits for the coffee to be done, and Jooheon dividing his attention between eating and making sure Yoshi gets her medication.

As if the weather reflects yesterday's mood, rain taps against the kitchen window. The yellowing branches of the tree across the street sway with every gust of wind. Minhyuk takes one disgruntled look outside, and takes one of Jooheon's jackets when he leaves for class.

Jooheon doesn't point out that Minhyuk's room is only across the building, so he could just as well go get his own. It feels like the wrong thing to say.

The jacket Minhyuk picks fits him just right, adjusting smoothly to his frame as he twirls around to show it off. Jooheon barks out a laugh and whistles because he knows it will make Minhyuk scrunch up his nose in embarrassment. It's only fair then that Minhyuk returns the favor by grabbing hold of Jooheon's face and pressing a kiss against his temple. Jooheon can almost feel his ears turn red. This pretend-dating thing is bad for his blood pressure. 

He brushes brushes his lips over Minhyuk's palm in a last-ditch effort to seem unaffected, but quickly transitions to swatting at Minhyuk and telling him to get going already, or he'll be late. Minhyuk doesn't let up that easy. 

By the time the door clicks shut, Jooheon's cheeks hurt from laughter—and because Minhyuk pinched them. That too.

 

*

 

The rest of Jooheon's day goes a bit like this:

_One—_

He decides to skip class so he can check up on Yoshi at regular intervals.

_Two—_

Changkyun sends him a very unflattering picture of Hyungwon trying to dodge a kid rushing past him. Jooheon is honestly afraid to ask why the two of them are in a candy store, holding ten bags of marshmallows each.

_Three—_

Kihyun, and later Hoseok, drop by with treats for Yoshi and Gucci.

_Four—_

Hyunwoo comes home right as Hoseok is heading to the gym. They convince Jooheon to tag along while Kihyun pet-sits—which is just code for 'tries to steal Jooheon's cats.'

_Five—_

Minhyuk texts him in the evening, well past dinner. It's a simple goodnight message, nothing out of the ordinary aside from the dozen pictures attached.

They're all of Gucci, taken the night before.

Gucci crouching, Gucci jumping after one of her toys, Gucci rolled over and looking up at the camera. Even a picture of Gucci asleep over Minhyuk's legs, which makes Jooheon smile. Minhyuk's hand is in the frame too, as if he was trying to pet her. So far for Minhyuk not liking cats, indeed.

Jooheon quickly scrolls through his own pictures, searching for something to send back. He decides on one Kihyun took with his phone earlier that day, of Yoshi settling down on Jooheon's lap. The angle is a bit odd and Jooheon's hair is a disaster, but Yoshi looks adorable so it'll do.

Not a minute after it's sent, a litany of different colored heart emojis fills up his screen. He snorts. Minhyuk has always been even more overdramatic in text format.

Because at least one of them needs to stay reasonable, his own goodnight text only has one line of hearts attached.

And a dog emoji, just to tease him. 

 

 

**[ Friday ]**

The next day, Jooheon agrees to meet Minhyuk for lunch.

It's somewhat of a relief after being cooped up inside the day before. Unfortunately, the weather is still cloudy, and Minhyuk still refuses to return the jacket he stole because of the chill. Jooheon huffs about it but doesn't really mind. It suits Minhyuk more anyway.

Jooheon wishes he could say they eat their food in companionable silence, but it's hard to describe it as such when Minhyuk is talking animatedly for most of it, Jooheon interjecting his own comments or anecdotes just as loud. It's fun though. Minhyuk steals his fries and frowns in disgust when he notices there's pickles on his burger, while Jooheon takes a piece of his chicken in return.

It could almost be a date.

It isn't though.

If this was a date, Minhyuk would be doing something cheesy like holding his hand and whispering secrets in his ear from way-too-close, sweet nothings washing over him like the rain outside. That's how Minhyuk is with his dates. Jooheon has seen it happen, rolled his eyes at it even.

He wonders if Minhyuk would try anything like that with him. Because tomorrow, whatever outing Minhyuk has planned for them _is_ a date. The idea isn't that far-fetched either. By all logic Jooheon should be used to it already. The only form of physical affection Minhyuk hasn't given him so far is an actual kis—

Minhyuk's leg knocks against his under the table. Jooheon physically restrains himself from flinching.

Why is he the only one acting so weird about this?

There's a nervous flutter in his chest that reaches all the way to his fingertips. Words without meaning continue swirling through his mind.

Whatever _this_ is, it's making him nauseous.

He glances down at his tray. At least he hopes it's nerves, not food poisoning.

 

 

**[ Saturday - Part I ]**

 

"A club?" Jooheon repeats for the third time.

"Yep," Minhyuk confirms.

"You think clubbing is a good idea for a first date?"

"Yes." The other man ignores Jooheon's incredulous stare, instead focussing on his self-assigned task of emptying Jooheon's closet in search of the perfect outfit.

Why did Jooheon bother asking? Of course he does.

"Here," Minhyuk interrupts Jooheon's inner musings, "Put this on."

Jooheon eyes the jeans he's holding with apprehension. It's an old pair that he didn't throw out only because he barely wore it in the first place. It's also a lot tighter than he's used to.

"I didnt know dating you came with a dress code."

Minhyuk clicks his tongue, tone switching to something in between whiny and petulant. Jooheon doesn't have to look at him to know he's pouting.

"Don't you want to look nice for your date?"

"Isn't that for when you're trying to impress them?"

"What," Minhyuk grins, "You don't want to impress me?"

Jooheon grimaces and lobs a discarded shirt towards Minhyuk's head. The comment hits a bit too close to home.

He realizes that he's not as effortlessly beautiful as Minhyuk or Hyungwon, and doesn't have Hoseok's charms. It's not that he thinks of himself as ugly, but... Yeah. Sometimes he can't stop himself from drawing comparisons, and find himself lacking. So he definitely wants to impress Minhyuk.

He just doesn't know if he ever can.

Even the outfit Minhyuk chose for him is a far cry from what he brought for himself. Jooheon only caught a glimpse of the contents of the other's bag, but he's pretty sure it involves mesh. He worries his lip between his teeth.

Either way, there's no turning back now.

He shoos Minhyuk out the room so he can get dressed in peace. His date for the night obliges with a bow and a flourished _'As you wish!'_ trailing behind.

Left in silence once again, a few-days-old memory resurfaces. About how some things are so natural and matter-of-fact to Jooheon that he stopped noticing them. One example is Minhyuk's dedication to his friends and family. 

Another is how ridiculously attractive Minhyuk is when he smiles.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

**[ Saturday - Part II ]**

 

All the fussing earlier was definitely worth it, Minhyuk thinks.

His looks are probably the one thing Jooheon gets most insecure about. He never admits it out loud, but it's hard to miss how he sometimes glares at the mirror for a second too long, jaw tense and brow set in an unhappy frown. Minhyuk isn't quite sure what caused him to be so critical of himself, but he _is_ sure that it's unfounded.

Minhyuk routinely reminds Jooheon that he's good-looking and pretty and cute, because Jooheon is all of those things and more. If anyone ever told him otherwise, they were either lying or blind.

So yes, he's happy that he went over to help Jooheon pick an outfit for their date. It takes the pressure of deciding off of Jooheon, and gave Minhyuk ample chance to confirm that yes, he looks nice, and no, the jewelry isn't too much.

Besides, Minhyuk needed the distraction as well.

No matter how composed he looks, he is a mess on the inside. Saturday came much quicker than expected, and before Minhyuk knew it he had to decide what sort of date he actually wanted to take Jooheon on.

His mind blanked out so completely that it broke the record previously held by his second-year sociology exam.

Jooheon and he already did so many things together as friends that re-using any of those in the context of a date felt cheap. Going to the movies? They did that every month. Getting coffee or having dinner together? Try every _week_.

Then there were ideas like going to the beach or the aquarium—but it was too cold out for seaside walks and Minhyuk was the one who was interested in ocean life, not Jooheon. It would have been selfish to drag Jooheon along just because he wanted to go look at tropical fish, right? Going to a cat cafe made no sense either, because Jooheon loves his own cats most of all and Minhyuk would spend his entire time there feeling out of place.

On the list of things Jooheon loves, that left music and dancing.

Thus, a club.

Both of them have gone to clubs before, of course, but not with each other. Only once, when their extended group of friends went all together, and well...

It was a logistical nightmare.

Ever tried going out with a group of over a dozen twenty-something year olds? With the added bonus of most of them being lightweights? They all lost sight of one another not even an hour into the night. It was hilarious at the time, but sort of made the entire ordeal useless in hindsight.

So now Minhyuk gets to learn how Jooheon behaves in a club setting, if nothing else.

The answer is: relaxed. More relaxed than Minhyuk expected by the jitter in his hands earlier in the evening. But give Jooheon music, a rhythm to be captivated by, and he loses the tension in his shoulders, gains more confidence with each chord progression. Instinct takes over, and the sway of his body comes as natural as breathing.

It's fun. He goes along with Minhyuk's excitement, yells and mouths the lyrics to his favorite songs. Breaks are few and far between. 

Minhyuk already regrets taking a break at all when he returns from the restroom and realizes Jooheon is definitely not where he left him.

He sighs.

Losing your date in the crowd is not good boyfriend behavior.

Thankfully, it doesn't take long before he spots Jooheon at the bar holding a drink— _how many had jooheon had, anyway?_ —and chatting with an unfamiliar face.

Unfamiliar to Minhyuk at least. Maybe Jooheon knows her, but there's no way to tell. She's cute though, straight brown hair falling past her shoulders and strapless cocktail dress shimmering in the neon-blue barlight. Her smile is too wide to be casual, her stance definitely interested.

Minhyuk grits his teeth. Not flirting with other people is also common date courtesy, but Jooheon apparently didn't get that memo.

After all the stress Minhyuk is going through to prove he's a decent date, the least Jooheon can do is give him his full attention. Yes, they already danced together, yes, they already talked in the breaks between, but the night isn't over yet. Jooheon is still _his_ date, should still be at _his_ side and laughing until his dimples show and his eyes sparkle in mirth like those fireworks they lit together during senior year, and—

 _Oh_.

At the exact same time Minhyuk experiences the emotional equivalent of a red alert, Jooheon's eyes locate him in the crowd.

Minhyuk shoves the chaos in his mind _down_ , deep deep down where it belongs. Not a moment too soon. With nary a second's hesitation, Jooheon pushes himself away from the bar—and his former conversation partner—to join Minhyuk at the edge of the dancefloor.  

"Almost thought you ditched me," he chuckles as soon as he's within earshot. His voice is stable, not slurred in the slightest, so he can't be drunk yet.

He stumbles, curses. Ah, definitely tipsy then.

"When I'm trying to prove I'm a good date? I wouldn't."

"I dunno," Jooheon leans against him, a long line of heat against Minhyuk's side. "You were gone for quite a while."

"It was barely five minutes," he forces himself to grin, "Just be honest and say you missed me."

"Maybe," Jooheon says, then pauses. "Maybe I just wanted to dance some more."

 _You could have asked someone else_ , Minhyuk thinks. _You could have asked that lady at the bar or the guy that stared at you on the way in. You didn't have to wait for me._

"Thanks for waiting, in that case," he replies instead.

Jooheon looks at him funny. Not quite confusion, not quite disbelief. A smidgen of curiosity.

"Hmm. You _are_ my date after all."

The words twist like a knife. Suppressed thoughts well up again. There is no time to pay them any mind though, not when Jooheon leads him along into another dance.

The bass thrums heavy in Minhyuk's ears, and his hands on Jooheon's waist find their way onto his hips, until suddenly his fingertips hit skin where Jooheon's shirt rode up. Everything registers as snapshots in his mind, added to the pile of things he shouldn't be thinking about.

Jooheon's arms resting over his shoulders, sickly-sweet cologne, nails against his neck, the heat of being pushed together but still too far away.

He shivers.

The lights overhead flash red-purple-green but they all pale next to the glow of Jooheon's smile when he throws his head back to reach for air. His expression is so radiant that Minhyuk wishes he could keep it there forever, bottle it up and save it like precious gems, even if it makes his heart ache and his head spin. He wonders what that much joy would taste like against his lips.

Fuck.

_Fuck._

Minhyuk can't remember the last time he felt this much raw desire build up in the cavities of his chest, ready to spill over with every glance sent his way. He can't tear his his eyes away from Jooheon, not even when he rests his forehead against Minhyuk's, _too close_ , then lowers it to the crook of his neck instead. They're sweaty and gross and Minhyuk feels confined but doesn't want to leave _this_ behind yet.

Jooheon giggles. He definitely had too much to drink.

Minhyuk hates being the responsible one.

The next time the song changes, he slides an arm underneath Jooheon's shoulder and guides him away, outside, trudging their way back as slow as possible. Past flickering signs and booming music, into the wordless spaces of a subway station at 5 A.M.

Minhyuk can't stop himself from asking, "Did you have fun?"

And at least some of his prayers must have been heard because Jooheon replies, "Yeah, why wouldn't I?"

"I'm a lousy date, remember?"

Jooheon squeezes his arm.

"Don't worry, I like you anyway."

"You have to," Minhyuk says for his own sake more than Jooheon's, "You're my friend."

Jooheon is biased, he can't be a fair judge of Minhyuk's dating skills. Why did Minhyuk want to prove his own worth so badly?

Why did he do this to himself?

"Yep, I am," Jooheon declares, surprisingly coherent. "But you're my friend because I like you, not the other way around. You're amazing, y'know? If other people can't see that, they're dumb."

The last part comes out as a grumble, a whisper, something too telling and intimate for the two of them. Minhyuk reclines into the cheap plastic of his seat, pulls Jooheon closer and murmurs "Thank you" against the highest point of his cheek. He closes his eyes. 

If you had told Minhyuk last Sunday—before his disaster of a date—that by the same time next week he would be sitting hand-in-hand with Jooheon in a near-abandoned subway station, trying with every fiber of his being to not just _lean forward_ and kiss him, he would have called you insane.  

Right now, however?

Minhyuk wants to cry at the unfairness of it all.

The week is almost over.

He didn't expect it to hurt this much.

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

 

**[ Sunday ]  
**

 

Whatever Jooheon imagined a date with Minhyuk would be like, it didn't involve waking up the next morning with sharp pressure building at his temples. He isn't quite hung-over, doesn't feel like he needs to throw up or hide behind his covers for the rest of his life, but some aspirin would be very nice.

Carefully, he eases himself upright, first on his elbows and then his hands and knees. A step-by-step process of waking up.

Ah, scratch that comment about hiding behind his sheets, these aren't his sheets at all. Nor his bed.

Right. Why would Minhyuk bother dropping Jooheon off at his room when it's faster to just share a bed? The pulsing in his head gets worse. At least he changed into sweatpants and a loose shirt at some point last night. Minhyuk as well.

On closer inspection, the other is still asleep. Then why can Jooheon hear the coffee machine running?

As silently as he can muster in his half-conscious state, he trudges towards the kitchen. Changkyun pauses mid-sip to raise an eyebrow at his appearance.

"Rough night?"

"Not that bad," Jooheon tries to rub the sleep from his eyes. "Looking for aspirin though."

As if by magic, Changkyun whisks a familiar package from the drawer next to him.

"Changkyun, Kyun, love of my life, I don't say this often enough, but you're the best."

Changkyun only grins at him while he downs the pills with water.

"I'm going to remind you that you said that next time you get mad at me."

"I would never."

Jooheon can feel his pokerface giving way. He's too sleepy to have a proper back-and-forth, although Changkyun clearly doesn't have the same issue.

"August twentieth, it was a sunny summer day, when I was at work and you tried calling me—"

He slaps a hand over Changkyun's mouth.

"I'm not nearly awake enough for this."

Changkyun, with all the predictability of a twelve-year-old, licks his hand. Jooheon looks him dead in the eye and refuses to budge.

"I'm serious. Please let me get some food first."

Changkyun pulls at the handle of the cupboard next to his head. Cereal, perfect.

"I repeat, you're the best."

"Or so you say."

Jooheon focuses his attention on the food. He isn't really hungry, but if he doesn't eat anything now, he'll regret it in a few hours. Besides, cereal is light enough that it won't upset his stomach. By the time Jooheon sits down, Changkyun finished his coffee. He places his empty cup next to the sink.

"Anyway, enjoy your breakfast-for-lunch, I'm heading out. Tell Sleeping Beauty when he wakes up that I'll be back in time for movie night."

"What's the theme tonight?"

"Sad dog movies."

Jooheon shoots him a disapproving look. With his current state of existence being what it is, it's not very convincing.

"Both of you have class tomorrow."

"I know," Changkyun grins.

"He's going to bawl his eyes out."

"Sure is."

"I take it back," Jooheon mumbles in between bites, "You're evil incarnate."

"Hey, you're free to join us if you want to cheer him up afterwards," Changkyun waves as he disappears around the corner. "Later, hyung!"

He doesn't get the chance to reply, or to inquire if Changkyun meant to sound as suggestive as he did. Knowing that little menace, he knows exactly what he's doing.

Is Jooheon really that easy to read?

Has he always been?

Jooheon glares at the off-white milk in his bowl and wonders how his life has come to this—recalling good morning texts and goodbye pecks on his cheeks, the gleam of Minhyuk's eyes and the calloused hands holding his in the back of a dim subway car. How their legs tucked against each other where they curled up on the couch, and the rhythmic rise and fall of Minhyuk's chest underneath his fingertips. The picture of Gucci and Minhyuk, set as his phone's home screen.

Then, further back, meeting Minhyuk during his second week of high school in a whirlwind of chatter and gangly limbs. Skipping class and study sessions, sleepless nights over games and heartbreak and rebellion. Minhyuk's hair dyed brown-blond-white-pink and black again, like the turn of seasons. The details that he missed, those he didn't.

It isn't supposed to be like this. There should be a moment Jooheon can pinpoint, pluck from memory and confirm, _yes, this is the moment my heart ached a bit too much at the sight of his tears, this is when I first held on too tight and had trouble letting go_.

He can't remember how long he felt like this, and doesn't know which option is scariest—that it's recent, or that it's not.

And maybe he is trying to delay the inevitable by chewing at a snail's pace, fiddling with his spoon, getting up and drinking another glass of water. Did Minhyuk consider that dating Jooheon for a week meant they also had to break up at the end of it? Or does it not count as a breakup when they weren't _really_ dating in the first place?

He rinses out his bowl and prepares a cup of Minhyuk's favorite tea. No matter how this conversation will go, he might as well make the best of it.  

As expected, Minhyuk must have woken up from the noise of Changkyun's departure. He nearly drops his phone on his face when Jooheon enters the room.

"Made you tea," Jooheon announces.

Minhyuk accepts the mug with a groggy "Thank you." His shoulders are slumped against the headboard, knees pulled up nearly against his chest. If it wasn't for the blanket lying discarded besides the bed, Jooheon would think he's simply cold.

"You alright?" he asks.

"Yeah," Minhyuk gives a small smile. "Just tired."

He does look a bit gaunt. Maybe Jooheon should've brought some of that aspirin with him. He moves to sit down next to Minhyuk, who inches away to create space. In the end, they're still pressed together.

"Thanks for dragging me back, by the way."

"Anytime," comes the reply on auto-pilot, and Jooheon wishes he could believe it right now. That there will be other days like yesterday, that nothing will change between them even though it already has.

Minhyuk clears his throat. "You had fun, right?"

"Didn't you already ask that?" Or was Jooheon's mind playing tricks on him?

"Yes, but you haven't officially decided yet," Minhyuk explains, "Whether or not I was a good date."

Jooheon hums. "I guess I didn't."

"Well? How'd I do?"

Jooheon considers his options. He knows the answer—already knew it long before this week—but where would that leave him?

_Yes, Minhyuk, you were great. Now that's confirmed and over with, let's go back to being friends._

The end, game over. Back to the status quo. It's definitely the safer bet.

He might not ever get this chance again though. He comforts himself with the thought that if things go south, at least Minhyuk won't be the one left with a broken heart this time.

"Terrible."

"W-what?"

"You dated me for a week—," Jooheon pauses. He can't bring himself to swallow. If he does, he might not be able to get the words out. "—And you didn't kiss me once."

Minhyuk gapes at him. He stares back, unperturbed.

Or, hopefully, he looks that way. It takes a lot of willpower to stay seated.

"I—" Minhyuk stumbles over the vowel, stops. Tries again with an airy lilt to his inflexion. Pretending it's just another joke. "I mean, if you insist."

Jooheon's hands feel clammy, but Minhyuk's are trembling ever-so-slightly when he cups them around the sides of Jooheon's face. He takes a deep breath. It'll be alright.

Minhyuk's smile is stretched thin when he tells Jooheon to "At least close your eyes, silly." It's the last thing Jooheon sees before he obliges and slides his eyes shut.

For a moment, nothing happens. He can practically feel Minhyuk staring at him though, absentmindedly stroking his thumbs over Jooheon's jaw. Maybe if his eyes were open, he wouldn't even notice the movement.

One breath it's nothing, the next there's the press of lips—a bit chapped but nonetheless soft—brushing against his own. He slides closer, tilts his head and yes, this is much better, this fits just right.

It's a chaste kiss by anyone's standards, over in seconds, but a proper, _actual_ kiss nonetheless. Jooheon's stomach swoops like he's on the downwards slope of a rollercoaster. His eyes find Minhyuk's as soon as he opens them. The latter's posture is hunched, ready to pull back, like he's gearing up to get a punch thrown at him.

In fractions, Jooheon considers how much he knows of Minhyuk. How Minhyuk's desk is the only part of his room that gets messy and how he's quiet in the morning and sings along to musical numbers in the shower. How Jooheon's heart skipped a beat when he got those flowers on Tuesday and Minhyuk smiled at him over the leaves of the bouquet.

Jooheon is scared. He's terrified. Of messing up, of the words that finally have a name but are still stuck in the back of his throat because it's too soon to say them out loud.

So instead he tugs at the collar of Minhyuk's shirt and brings their lips together again.

It's awkward and messy, zero finesse and noses bumping into each other, but then all the air seems to leave Minhyuk at once and he presses forward. His tongue runs along Jooheon's lips and giving in feels like the easiest thing in the world right then.

"I have to admit this isn't how my breakups usually go," Minhyuk laughs, lined with an edge of hysteria.

"Does it have to be a breakup?" Jooheon asks, only because he doesn't want to call it begging. His fingers dig into Minhyuk's shoulders so hard they'll probably bruise.

"It can be whatever you want it to be. Take your pick."  

"A promise for a second date?" he suggests.

This time, he feels Minhyuk's smile form from up close, and it's so much better than he could have imagined.

"Alright,"  Minhyuk hesitates another heartbeat, "Then here's to the third."

Jooheon loses track of the exact number of kisses. There must be well over a hundred dates saved up by now, but he leans in again, and again.

He wants a lifetime's worth of promises.

 

 

 

(Jooheon stays for movie night after all. Changkyun is way too smug about it as he passes them the popcorn.)

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Aaand we reached the end! I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I liked writing it ;;
> 
> (Feel free to let me know which parts you liked / which parts you think can be improved, I might still re-work/edit this a bit now it's done)
> 
> My twitter: [ @heoneymin](https://twitter.com/heoneymin)


End file.
